The beam of pride on the face of Leila Jackson as her mother began the first day of senate confirmation hearings, should be representative of the pride of a nation. The photo, which was published by The New York Times, quickly went viral.
Jackson’s mother Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed as the first Black woman Supreme Court justice this week, after a bipartisan group of senators voted on Monday to advance her nomination.
It is a moment in history that we should all take as much pride in as captured in the now iconic photo of Jackson’s proud daughter as she sat in the audience of the confirmation hearings. For me, that photo represents the powerful impact that is made when education and representation merge.
I read with interest an article that said Jackson’s counselor at Miami Palmetto Senior High School advised her against setting her sights too high as she applied for college. Perhaps it was the guidance of her parents, both public school teachers, that overrode the misguided advice of that school counselor. Perhaps Jackson’s own confidence and vision were the driving forces. More than likely, it was a combination of many things that drove Jackson to turn a deaf ear to those who did not share the belief she had in herself.
Had Jackson fallen victim to the poison of low expectations, she would not be where she is today. Two justices besides Jackson attended public high schools. But almost every sitting justice studied law at Harvard or Yale universities. That bar certainly would not have been lowered for the first black woman justice in the high court’s 233-year history.
And while Jackson’s undergraduate and law degree are both from Harvard University, her trajectory since leaving the university also contributed to the strong foundation upon which President Joe Biden based his nomination of her for the nation’s highest court.
Jackson served for eight and a half years on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia and was confirmed to the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2021. It has been said that her record as a judge “demonstrates a fair, impartial jurist with a clear commitment to protecting the constitutional rights of all people.”
Before her time as a federal judge, Jackson’s experience included service on the U.S. Sentencing Commission and in the District of Columbia’s Office of the Federal Public Defender, making her the first justice in more than 30 years with significant experience representing criminal defendants.
Said Brown: “I can only hope that my life and career, my love of this country and the Constitution, and my commitment to upholding the rule of law and the sacred principles upon which this great nation was founded will inspire future generations of Americans.”
The prideful look on Leila Jackson’s face is moving beyond words. And it indicates that her mother’s hope is already realized.